


Dawn of the English Roses

by Stewbacca94



Category: RWBY
Genre: 1960s Music, Alternate Universe - 1960s, Ambiguous/Open Ending, F/M, Girl Band, Implied Relationships, References to the Beatles, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:47:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21872449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stewbacca94/pseuds/Stewbacca94
Summary: As the most famous band in existence to date, the Yeatles thought they'd heard it all. A night watching a new London band playing on their home turf forces them to think otherwise - and to think about other things, too.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Sun Wukong, Sage Ayana/Yang Xiao Long, Scarlet David/Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee/Neptune Vasilias
Comments: 7
Kudos: 9





	1. That Will Be The Day

* * *

* * *

June 1st proved to be a fine start to the English summer of 1965, with a whole day of uninterrupted sun warming the temperate country. And for that reason, Sun Wukong, Scarlet David, Sage Ayana and Neptune Vasilias were taking the time to stroll to the nearby golf green for a morning of leisure. This was unusual for them, given that fame as the Yeatles had made them wary of going anywhere with excesses of people, but Sage had just acquired a farm northeast of Liverpool, which enabled them to rehearse and write without annoying neighbours or attract unwanted attention whenever they walked around.

"So yeah," Sun was saying as the band approached the golf course that bordered the M58, "the Rolling Stones were pretty damned impressive the other night."

"I'm sure they were," Neptune agreed as he caught up to the pack.

"Hang about," Scarlet said as he moved forward to the fence, "what's this flyer posted here?"

The lead guitarist removed the flyer in question, and brought it back to the other band members to read. It advertised a new, London-based band called RWBY, who were set to play at the Empire on Lime Street the following weekend.

"What sort of a band name is RWBY?", Neptune asked.

"I dunno," Scarlet replied, "but the flyer's promising _a night of auditory fireworks_ , and apparently the Pacemakers are supporting them."

" _What?!_ ", Sage exclaimed.

"Gerry and his guys are _backing_ them?!", Sun incredulously added. "They _must_ be something special."

"Should we go down there to see this next weekend?", Scarlet asked.

"Man, if the Pacemakers are supporting them, we've _got_ to," Neptune averred.

"Fair enough," the redhead conceded. "Now, shall we head inside the course and tee off?"

"Lets."

Finally, the weekend in question arrived. At the stroke of six on the 5th of June, four moustachioed men in black tie and fedora hats entered the Empire, swiftly paying for their admission to the doorman before finding a spot in the upper tier, away from prying eyes. Scarlet had sneaked in some chicken and watercress sandwiches, and gave two each to his bandmates for a light dinner with no-one else around.

"Can't believe that flyer was a _misprint_ ," Sun groaned. "Of _course_ RWBY were backing the Pacemakers; I probably wouldn't have come had I known that."

"That may be true," Neptune allowed, "but it will be interesting to see what this new band can do."

Sun nodded resignedly. "Perhaps."

"Besides," Scarlet added, "it's been a while since we've seen the Pacemakers, so it'll be good to catch up with them."

"True, true," Sage echoed, before taking another bite of his sandwich.

* * *

The four men chatted away as they whittled their sandwiches down over the course of two hours. Eventually, the bottom tier of seats were filled to capacity by the time the clock struck eight. Fortunately, there was no need to open up extra seating, so the Yeatles got the whole of the top tier to themselves. As the curtains lifted, the four young musicians were treated to a sight beyond all expectations as RWBY walked on stage from the wings and picked up their instruments. Much to the audience's surprise, RWBY were an honest-to-gods girl group.

Stage left was the domain of the band's guitarist. The sultry vixen's hazel eyes glowed like gold on the stage, and her smile was faint, and yet entrancing. Sun didn't feel like his body was electrified at the sight of an attractive girl, which was a first for him. Instead, five and a half feet of raven-haired Mediterranean beauty draped in a purple striped dress with black tights and go-go boots caused a smouldering, viscous river of lust to surge through his veins. But once the music started, Sun's emotional state flipped between enamoured and amazed; this was due to the twenty-three year old playing guitar _better_ than Sun ever could. Not that Sun was surprised at that, being a singer first and foremost, but this woman had _skill_.

 _And_ she'd cultivated a unique sound, Sun also noted. The guitarist had a pair of black Rickenbacker 360 guitars – one with six-strings, and one with twelve. Her amp of choice was the trusty Vox AC30, solely using the high-gain pair of channels; the six-string guitar went into a Maestro FZ-1 fuzz pedal and an Echoplex before hitting the normal channel, whilst the twelve-string was piped into the top-boost channel. That meant that she could mimic an acoustic guitar on the softer songs with the twelve-string, yet give Scarlet a run for his money when the six-string was in her hands.

At centre stage stood the bassist, a second woman who didn't look older than nineteen years of age. Her grey eyes seemed to exude a sense of innocence and purity, and Scarlet found that aura inviting and pleasant, despite his usual reticence towards the fairer sex. She was wreathed in a tasselled summer dress that was a couple of shades brighter than her dark auburn hair, with the same tights and footwear that the guitarist sported. When the music started, Scarlet was astounded at the sight of the 5'2'' Acton native playing a full-length cherry Rickenbacker 4001, which had been wired with separate outputs for the two pick-ups. The instrument was a beast to handle, as Neptune averred, yet the girl's fingers were nimble enough to go bonkers on it.

However, the advantage Rickenbacker basses had over their competitors was their stereo output feature – and the bassist had taken full advantage of that. The neck pick-up was sent to a clean Bluesbreaker, whilst the bridge pick-up was fed through a Maestro fuzz to a bright Bluesbreaker. This, along with the use of a green Dunlop Tortex pick, created a distinctive "tonal sandwich" that she used on the harder songs, while softer songs saw her turning the bridge pick-up down for a cleaner sound.

* * *

On a riser behind the bassist sat the band's drum set, which was played by a tall, brown-eyed blonde of twenty-one. Sage was enthralled by the sheer _power_ of her playing style; this drummer hit harder than many drummers that he'd seen and shared gigs with over the last five years. Additionally, Sage was a leftie who'd learned to play a right-handed drum set; this made for a style that was inimitable, yet flawed in that he led fills with his left hand and grooves with his right. The woman _clearly_ didn't have that background, and therefore Sage easily conceded that she'd likely be a better drummer for it, but he was still surprised at how thoroughly he was outclassed – especially since _she_ wore a yellow floral frock with white go-go boots and tights.

As a fellow Gretsch devotee, Sage also enjoyed the sound of the champagne sparkle Ludwig Super Classic kit that was getting hammered on. The drummer used a 20''x16'' kick drum, 14''x14'' and 16''x16'' floor toms on her right side, and 12''x8'' and 13''x9'' tom-toms with a 14''x5.5'' Ludwig Acrolite snare drum. The two smaller toms were hung over the kick drum from a pair of cymbal stands; these stands held two crashes – a 16'' on her left, and an 18'' on her right. To her left were a pair of 14'' hi-hats that sat below a 10'' splash, and a 22'' inch ride on her right side was housed beneath a 20'' swish cymbal. Sage was slightly miffed to note that all of these were Zildjian A Medium cymbals, being a Paiste fan. Despite that, Sage admitted that these paired well with the kit to make an explosive and powerful sound.

And stage right was home to a pale, petite woman of both Prussian and English descent that tickled three sets of ivory keys. Despite being his band's bassist, Neptune was a gifted pianist himself and sometimes added this aspect into the Yeatles. In contrast to his experimental approach to keyboard sounds in the studio, Neptune routinely used the Vox Continental organ and whatever grand piano the venue had on site for live performances. Simple and sweet, as he always said. Therefore, Neptune was quite surprised to see a grey Farfisa Compact Duo organ sitting beneath a white Hohner Clavinet, while a white Wurlitzer 100 electric piano stood off to the left and faced the rest of the band. That all three instruments were in mint condition was what made Neptune realise that the twenty-year-old woman before him was worthy of admiration. Her style of keyboard playing was versatile and well-developed too, Neptune realised as the music started, incorporating classical technique, jazz theory and rock tones in a blend as beautiful as the blue-eyed girl in an azure mini-dress was.

The Farfisa was a magnificent machine, being able to mimic the sound of instruments in a way that sat between the pipe organs of yore and the real deal. The keyboardist had the left and middle tabs engaged on the lower manual for a quasi-string sound, while the upper manual's white tabs were all on – providing the warm and buzzy tone that was unique to transistor organs. The vibrato circuit was set to a light depth and fast speed, giving a subtle inflection to the upper manual's sound.

By contrast, the Clavinet was a clavichord that had a few pick ups fitted underneath the strings; this made for an instrument that could provide a guitar-like ballast to the guitar parts, as well as enable the keyboardist to play solos with equal ferocity. The Wurlitzer possessed a rounder sound, using metal reeds instead of strings, and was there for softer numbers that would've been best driven by a grand piano. It also had a sustain pedal attached via a Bowden cable, which the keyboardist was forever grateful for.

The Farfisa had a multi-pin connector that carried power and output, with the latter going to a box that harboured a spring reverb tank and a twin-band EQ, and then to a Binson Echorec delay unit. The other two keyboards were both painted white, and the clavinet was piped through a Maestro fuzz as well. All three then got sent into a pair of Leslie 122 speakers, through the use of a small mixing desk that had been built by hand, along with special-made cables for the unit. Soldering the particular pair of 6-pin female to ¼-inch males would've been _excruciating_ to do, Neptune realised, and it made him respect this girl all the more. Hard as it was for Neptune to admit, her skill on the ivories surpassed his by a country mile.

* * *

A shared glance during the last chorus of the instrumental opener left no doubt in the minds of the band as to their next course of action. _We_ _ **will**_ _be signing them to our label_ , their eyes seemed to say. Once the applause started, Neptune and Sun both bounded down the stairs, stampeding towards the sound man as they removed the fake moustaches.

"Who _are_ these girls?", Sun asked over the noise.

The sound man looked up, recognised the men standing next to him, and promptly answered. "You planning on signing them up?"

"You bet," Scarlet admitted.

"Yang Xiao Long and Weiss Schnee – the drummer and keyboardist respectively – are the two you'll need to speak to. They handle the managerial side of things."

"Thanks. What about the other two?", Neptune asked.

"Blake Belladonna's the guitarist, while Ruby Rose is the bassist."

"Thanks mate," Sun cheered before sprinting upstairs with Neptune as Yang counted in the next number with her sticks.

As the songs roared into life one after the other, all four men realised what made this band special; all four of the girls in the band sang with equal competence. Each of their voices were different, yet they blended well together.

Blake's voice was the lowest of the four, possessing a rich, clear alto that didn't lose power until the D below middle C; this perfectly suited her lead vocal work on the band's ballads, and anchored the band's harmonies. Weiss had a full and smoky mezzo-soprano voice, which suited her soul-tinged pop songs and added girth to the vocal blend. Yang's voice was the highest of the group; hers was a steely and soaring soprano, and her pitch control and coloratura in the upper registers gave Brian Wilson a run for his money.

However, it was young Ruby that was the go-to lead singer in the band. Her powerful voice was also a mezzo-soprano, but her range sat between those of Weiss and Yang. Her blues shout was the loudest of all the girls, and lent itself well to the rockier numbers the band was getting renowned for in London. In an ironic twist, Ruby tended to write the band's ballads even though Blake sung those; in similar fashion, Blake wrote the hard-hitting songs that Ruby hollered on.

With everyone in the band singing, each of the girls used a Sennheiser MD421 microphone, with Blake and Ruby mounting them on straight stands, Weiss placing hers on a boom stand that stood where the two halves of her keyboard array met, and Yang hoisting her mic on a boom stand over her left shoulder. The four microphones were piped into the venue's PA system; thankfully, the venue had a second PA to let bands hear themselves. As such, a fifteen-inch speaker sat between Ruby and Blake, while a pair of linked ten-inch speakers sat on Weiss and Yang's right sides. Weiss's Leslie speakers sat behind her, and were aimed towards Blake, while Blake's AC30 was behind her left side and aimed at Ruby. As for Ruby's Bluesbreakers, they sat parallel with Yang's drums and were aimed at Weiss.

* * *

When the set finally finished, the Yeatles found themselves _astounded_ at the sheer quality of the songs they'd heard RWBY play. "Shine" and "Dream Come True" were Weiss's stand-out numbers, getting the crowd dancing readily as she sang over the Motown-inspired grooves. Blake's efforts on "Wings" and "Home" got the crowd teary-eyed with sentiment, while Yang's lone lead vocal on the Latin-tinged "Not Fall In Love" was nothing short of electrifying. As for Ruby, she had a quartet of songs that went down well – "This Will Be The Day" and "Red Like Roses" were the undeniable favourites, while both "I Burn" and "Let's Just Live" received the polite applause reserved for songs that were ahead of their time.

While their sheer musical mastery was in the forefront of the collective mind of the Yeatles's minds, it was impossible for any of the men to deny that they found themselves attracted to each of the girls. However, they'd worked with Cinder Black and many other women in the business over the years, and therefore knew to put business before pleasure. As the curtain was lowered and the audience swanned out to the bar, the Yeatles made their approach towards the stage, ditching the hats and fake moustaches as they crept beneath the curtain. Blake was the first to hear them as she finished placing the microphones and guitars in their cases, and her jaw dropped as she turned and saw the most famous band in the world mere metres away from her.

"Need a hand?", Sun asked, gesturing towards the equipment as Blake staved off the onset of shock.

"That would be most helpful, Sun," Blake replied, with her sultry contralto voice denoting an upbringing in the West End of London. Turning her head towards the wings, she called out to her bandmates. "Finished changing back there?"

"Just about," Yang called back. "Only need to change my shoes, and Weiss and Ruby are throwing on their street clothes as we speak."

"No worries then," Blake replied, before turning to the band. "If you could give Yang and the others a hand while I change out of this getup and move our vans around, I'd be most grateful."

"You got it," Sun assured, him becoming even more amorous at the soothing voice Blake had.

Blake nodded with a slight smile, before picking up all three of the guitars and striding off stage towards the change rooms. As the Yeatles got up on stage, Yang walked out in jeans, tennis shoes and a tan blouse, her hair now in a low ponytail as opposed to the bouffant she'd sported on stage. Her expression almost matched that of Blake's in terms of surprise when she spotted her newest fans, before recognition surged through her mind.

"Well, I'll be damned," she said quickly. "Anyone want to help take my drums off stage for packing up?"

"I'll give you a hand," Sage volunteered, still amazed at the fact Yang's speaking voice was much lower than her singing voice.

"Glad to hear it," Yang replied with a bright smile, before opening her cymbal bag. No sooner had Sage and Yang started to dismantle the drum set than the last two members of the band emerged from the changing rooms in the wings. Like before, Weiss had her waist-length alabaster locks parted in the centre and pulled behind her back in a high ponytail, but now wore a white skirt suit with brown boots as she pushed up the first of three large flight cases for the band's equipment.

As for Ruby, she now wore a red sweater and denim overalls over her canvas shoes, her auburn hair cut just above the chin and parted down her left side. She managed to push the other two cases out by herself, her strength belying her size considerably as she came to a stop. Invariably, she and Weiss both did a double take as they spotted the Yeatles, and both reacted predictably. Ruby smiled widely as she came over, while Weiss mischievously batted her eyelashes at Neptune as she followed her bandmate.

"Fans of ours, I take it?", Scarlet soothingly started.

"You bet we are!", Ruby chirped, her Estuary accent matching her sister's in every regard except pitch. "It's great to meet you all!"

"The feeling's mutual," Neptune replied as he shook Weiss's hand. "I especially like your choice of keyboards, Weiss."

"Why _thanks_ , Neptune," the svelte keyboardist replied in Queen's English with a coquettish smile. "And speaking of, would you like to help me pack them up?".

"Of course, Weiss," Neptune averred as the two of them approached the gantry of noise-making machines. Scarlet and Sun, meanwhile, packed down the band's coterie of amplifiers with Ruby, placing them in their foam slots within one of the flight cases. The second case saw a flurry of activity as Sage and Yang placed the latter's drum set within it, while the third harboured the Leslie speakers and mixing equipment Weiss had used, with the keyboards having individualised cases that sat in the wings next to Weiss's space.

* * *

In the space of ten minutes, the stage had been cleared, and both the Yeatles and RWBY were pushing their gear towards the loading bay. Awaiting them outside was a purple Ford Econoline Club Wagon, sitting next to a blue Ford Thames 400E van. Blake snapped to attention as her bandmates and idols arrived, and opened the rear doors of the two vans. Sun was stunned to see Blake's legs encased in jeans and black boots, with the purple turtleneck sweater setting off her own bouffant. Before Sun started to drool, Neptune took the lead.

"How do we load up these vans, Blake?", Neptune asked politely.

"Drums and guitar stuff goes in my van, along with the wardrobe," Blake responded while tapping the purple van, "while everything else goes in Weiss's van."

"Got it," Neptune avowed, before he and the others began to load up the vans. Two minutes later, RWBY's involvement with the gig had finally ceased. As soon as the vans were closed, Sun spoke up.

"How long have you four been a band?"

"For two years," Ruby piped up, "but we only started gigging ten months ago."

"Unsigned?"

"Unfortunately," Yang admitted, "though we've started to play gigs where talent scouts have begun to approach us for deals. Our music's a bit ahead of the times, though, and record executives aren't fond of that."

"Fortunately for you, _we_ are," Neptune confidently affirmed. "We'd _dearly_ love to have you ladies come in to do a recording session or two under our watch. We can convince our label to sign you up if we have something concrete to show them."

All four of the ladies exchanged wild, disbelieving glances, before Blake regained her composure and stood forward.

"We'll take you up on that offer," she said with her hand extended.

Sun shook it. "Glad to hear it. Would next Saturday at noon work for you all?"

* * *

**A/N: This chapter had the working title of "Gear Porn", for what it's worth.**

**Anyway folks, here's a brand new fic I've been working on for a couple of months or so. I've been longing to do another music fic since I published The Singer and the Photographer, and I've finally managed to find the creative energy to develop this 1960's AU further. Team SSSN are meant to be the AU's equivalent of the Beatles; no surprises there, of course. And yes, I did rename them after the word "yeet"; sue me.**

**Edit: As far as their singing voices go, I will say that only Ruby would sound like Casey Lee Williams. As far as the others go, Blake's voice is a cross between Adele and Annie Lennox, Weiss's voice is a mix between Christine McVie and Frida Lyngstad, while Yang's voice sounds like a hybrid of Agnetha Faltskog and Ann Wilson.**

**Cover art was done with the aid of HeroMachine 3, and it's designed to look like the cover for the album RWBY make in this fic.** **One last thing I'd like to bring up just quickly is that the "Scarlet David/Ruby Rose" pairing is the "Implied Romance" in this work. You'll see why when I release that particular chapter.**

**The next chapter won't be released until the New Year. Stay tuned!**


	2. Midnight Sun

* * *

* * *

The Limehouse fish markets loomed before Sun as he alighted from the waiting taxi the following Wednesday. Blake had handed him a small index card before heading back to London after that fateful gig, giving him a time, place and date to meet up. Looking around, he quickly spotted the guitarist he had quickly begun to fancy.

Blake awaited him on Commercial Road east of the bridge over Limehouse Basin, leaning on the wall with her bouffant and black skirt suit both immaculate. Her lavender blouse was open _just_ enough to tease the man she waited to meet. Finishing the last drag of the only cigarette she would smoke that day, Blake perked up when she saw her latest friend approach.

"Hey Blake!", Sun chirped as he bounded over and shook her hand.

"Hello Sun," Blake warmly replied. "I've just started my lunch break from work, so I'll have a while talk to you about this session you've planned for us. Do you fancy sandwiches and a coffee?"

"Yeah, egg and bacon sandwiches would be good," Sun admitted as Blake led him towards the cafe across the road from the supermarket she'd been waiting at. Sun quickly threw on his fake moustache, trilby hat and sunglasses before entering, and he quickly found a booth against the wall and sat down while Blake ordered lunch for the pair of them.

"What's with this get-up?", Blake asked quietly as she sat down, pointing at Sun's disguise.

"This is so I don't get recognised in public," Sun replied with equal lack of projection.

"The hat and sunglasses are fair enough," Blake said, "but the moustache looks ridiculous."

Never being one to disregard a woman's opinions on fashion, Sun sheepishly took off the device, secreting it in his pocket.

"So you mentioned work earlier; what's your day job?"

"My father runs the market we met up at," Blake promptly started, "and I work as his secretary/accountant."

"Does it pay well?"

"It does, as far as secretarial jobs go," Blake admitted. "All four of us have day jobs, so money's no real concern. Especially since Ruby and Yang inherited the house we all live in from their grandad."

"You rehearse there too?", Sun asked.

"Yeah we do," Blake admitted as she perked up. "We're always back home in Camden before six each night," she explained, "which is solely due to living a stone's throw from Mornington Crescent Station. We rehearse from seven to ten every weeknight, and any time we can spare on the weekends is used for writing."

Sun shook his head in amazement, chuckling slightly. "No wonder you girls played the Empire so damned well. Speaking of, how often do you ladies play gigs?"

"Twice a week, on average," Blake responded, "but always a gig on the weekends."

"How do you juggle gigging with your day jobs? That seems like a pretty industrious pace you're setting there."

"Mondays through to Thursdays, we'll convene at home like normal, but whoever gets back first starts loading the gear into the vans, while the others join in as they arrive. We only play in Greater London though."

"Same goes for the weekends, I suppose?"

"Pretty much, but we'll go to other spots in the country. Usually pubs in Surrey and Kent, although we do go to Manchester and Birmingham once a month. That gig in Liverpool was an opportunity Yang managed to snag at the last second, to be honest."

"Yeah, Gerry told me about that the day after I met you," Sun admitted. "The Honeycombs backed out of that one due to illness, as I understand it."

At this point, the waitress arrived with a tea tray and placed it all on the table.

"Here's your pot of Irish breakfast, Blake."

"Thank you, Ilia," Blake replied kindly.

Ilia nodded, before blanching as she realised just _who_ was sitting with Blake.

"Let's not all shout," Blake purred snarkily. Ilia nodded mutely, a nervous smile plastered on her face as she returned behind the counter.

* * *

"Just as well you're a regular around here," Sun started, "otherwise we'd have been mobbed."

"Yeah," Blake admitted as she poured out an unadulterated cup for herself. "Want some of this?"

"Sure thing! Irish breakfast's my favourite blend of tea," Sun chirped as Blake poured out the cup. "Just a dash of milk and it's perfect for me."

"Well, at least you don't add sugar," Blake noted cheekily as she replaced the teapot. "By the way, I wish I could've shown you my ES-335 at the gig the other night, but –"

"You _have_ a Gibson ES-335?!", Sun interjected in shock; he knew just how difficult it was for regular folks to get imports. "How the hell did _that_ happen?"

"Well, back in '56, my father went on a business trip to America. He was given that as a gift by the importer he struck a deal with, even though he can't play a tune to save his life."

"And let me guess; he gave it to you as a gift?"

"Indeed – although not before my mother added a purple and white Union Jack paint job. I've since had it refinished by a local luthier, but it's a nice reminder of what my parents did for my aspirations growing up."

Sun nodded with a resigned smile on his face; he'd have sorely wanted to have that kind of support from _his_ father growing up. Then a question struck him.

"So how come you don't use the Gibson in your band, Blake?"

"I prefer to write on my Gibson and my acoustic twelve," Blake answered, "but the Rickenbackers are cheaper to repair or replace, hold their tune a bit better and they're easier to play fast on – making them ideal for RWBY's gigs. However, I'd like to use my writing instruments for recording."

"Fair enough," Sun acceded. "When it comes to the recording session, I'd suggest bringing everything in. That way, you have every sound option available, and fans tend to like it more when your live sound closely matches your studio sound. I mean, the Ricky twelve is an indelible part of the Yeatles sound, and Scarlet's long since proved its worth in the studio."

"True, but there's something _special_ about the sound of an acoustic twelve that I like more."

" _Yeah_ , I hear that. One of our favourite things to do these days is record a part on an acoustic twelve, and then overdub an electric twelve playing the same part; it adds more depth to the recordings, I find."

"That's a pretty good idea, Sun," Blake admitted. "I'll be sure to use that technique when we start work on the album."

Sun nodded approvingly. "Awesome. I can't wait to see you four take that music into the EMI studios at Abbey Road."

"Likewise," Blake replied with a small smile. "Hopefully I won't need to make any other repairs to the stage clothes during my practice time."

Sun gasped. "Wait a second – you repair the band's wardrobe?"

A bashful blush came to Blake's face. "More than that. I … actually created the wardrobe myself."

" _Wow!_ ", Sun exclaimed. "How did _that_ come about?!"

"We bought the boots and stockings, obviously," Blake explained, "but I used my sewing machine and a ridiculous amount of threads and fabrics for our dresses – except for the tassels on Ruby's dress; my mother helped me do those."

Sun was amazed at Blake's seemingly endless amount of skill. "No wonder you're so quick on the guitar, Blake; you've got hands that can do anything for anybody!"

Blake blushed deeply before she started to giggle, and Sun realised his innocent little innuendo and went pale.

"I mean … I'm just amazed that you're so good at everything you try your hands at, Blake."

"Thank you, Sun," Blake replied with a heart-warming smile and tender eyes. As Sun blushed nervously when the food arrived, Blake smiled knowingly at the most famous singer in the world – and the biggest goofball she'd ever met. _I might just love him_ , she realised as she began to smirk, _and my mother_ _certainly_ _will_. _The jury's still out on my grumpy old father though_.

"So, shall we start talking about the session itself?", she asked him.

"We may as well, Blake," Sun said with a growing smile. "But not before we eat our food."

"Amen to that," Blake agreed, before tucking into her sandwich.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Blake and Sun had finished their food, and were on their second cup of tea.

"So Sun," Blake began, "how many songs are we going to be recording?"

"To start with, I'd say three or four," Sun responded. "I'd suggest you put your best songs down first to increase the chances of getting an album green-lit by the label. If all goes well, we'll book in two or three more to finish the rest of the songs, then get them mixed and mastered."

"Fair enough. I reckon we'll do _Wings_ , _Shine_ , _This Will Be The Day_ and _Red Like Roses_ first."

"That's a pretty decent blend, Blake. It reinforces the idea of Ruby being the main lead singer, while giving you and Weiss the chance to work your charms as well. They were some of your stand-out numbers as well."

Blake shyly smiled at that, before regaining her composure. "Assuming all goes well with the label signing, what other songs do you think we should round out the album with?"

Sun stroked his chin, eyes upward in thought as he thought back to the gig at the Empire. "Well … I'd say _Not Fall In Love_ , _Dream Come True_ and _Let's Just Live_ are certainties. I'd suggest flipping a coin between _Home_ and _I Burn_ for inclusion on the album though – _Home_ is considerably softer than the other songs you girls have, while _I Burn_ is rather harsh-sounding by today's standards."

" _Home_ would work better as a B-side to a single, I must admit," Blake replied, "but I'm not sure why we shouldn't include both."

"I tell you what," Sun suggested. "We'll record both songs, and then decide what fits better in context of the album when mixed – and the one that gets excluded becomes a B-side to the first single."

"That's fair," Blake conceded. "Eight songs is a tad brief for an album, though."

"True," Sun replied with a nod, "which is why I suggest you girls record the instrumental you opened the set with as the first song on the album's A-side."

Blake nodded with an expression of surprised concession upon her tanned features. "That could work," she added. "We're still struggling to find a title for that one though."

"Hmm … it had a nice atmosphere to it," Sun wondered out loud. "When you girls played that, it conjured an image in my head of a woman running through a field of roses first thing in the morning on a summer's day."

"That's _oddly_ specific," Blake noted, with a slightly mischievous glint in her eyes. "Did she look anything like me?"

"Uh … would you be annoyed if it was you, or – or if it _wasn't_ you?", Sun fumbled, _clearly_ not expecting the conversation to go in _this_ direction.

"Yes," Blake laconically riposted, with a prize-winning smirk the only tell before she began to cackle at Sun's expense. Sure enough, the famed singer was blushing heavily in embarrassment; he'd never met a woman who could work him over like Blake had just done, and Sun found himself unsure if he should be frightened or aroused at the Calabrian girl's behaviour.

Blake eventually regained her composure, then smiled reassuringly at Sun's startled expression. "Don't worry; I won't bite. The idea's given me a title for that tune."

"Really? What came to mind?"

"Dawn of the English Roses."

Sun nodded slowly. "That could work – it may also be a good title for the album."

Suddenly, Blake's watch began to beep. Glancing at it quickly, Blake drained her tea and began to stack the plates on the tray.

"Heading back to work, I suppose?"

"Indeed," Blake said.

"Before you go," Sun started, "could you, uh, give me your phone number? We might need it for future work."

"Sure thing, Sun," Blake chirped as she fished out a business card from her purse and scrawled the number on the back of it. Sun placed it in his hip pocket before he shook hands with Blake.

"Thanks for your time today, Blake. I can't wait to see you and your cohorts in action on Saturday; should be fun!"

"I can't wait either, Sun. I'll be sure to bring the ES-335 as well."

As he waved goodbye to Blake before she left the cafe with a smile, one thought crossed Sun Wukong's mind.

 _Christ, I am head over heels for this girl_.

Little did he know that Blake was beginning to feel much the same way about him.

* * *

At eight that night, the house on the corner of Arlington and Mornington was strangely silent and devoid of music. This was because the four residents of the house had finished a luxurious dinner of fish and chips and were preparing to go over their plans for Saturday.

"After Sun and I talked about things earlier, we'll do _Wings_ , _Shine_ , _This Will Be The Day_ and _Red Like Roses_ first," Blake started as Weiss jotted down the information, "and we'll be using those songs to pitch our act to the label. Assuming all goes well with that, we'll then do _Not Fall In Love_ , _Dream Come True_ , _Let's Just Live_ , the instrumental, and either _Home_ or _I Burn_."

" _Home_ or _I Burn_?", Weiss concernedly asked. "Why must we choose between the two?"

"Sun was worried that including both would only dilute the album's genre. To be fair, he did say we could decide which one went on the album, and then use the other one as a B-side to our first single."

"Fair enough," Weiss conceded.

"Did Sun say anything about the session itself?", Yang asked. "Like a list of things to bring or something?"

"He advised me to bring every guitar I have to give more options for the recording sound. With that in mind, I'd suggest that we bring the instruments and amplifiers we use live to be safe."

"That's a fair call," Ruby admitted. "I just hope they've got a grand piano available for Weiss to use on the day."

"Not that I wouldn't use it," Weiss interjected, "but I've grown used to the sound of the Wurlitzer for those songs. I wonder if we'll be able to record both an acoustic and electric piano for some songs."

"They ought to," Blake noted. "Sun told me that he and Scarlet like to record acoustic and electric guitars playing the same parts together for more depth, so that's a distinct possibility."

"That's reassuring," Weiss replied. "What about the name of the album?"

"Jury's still out on that one, but Sun gave me the idea for the instrumental's title."

"He did?"

"Yeah. I propose that we call it _Dawn of the English Roses_."

The others considered this for a moment. Finally, Ruby spoke up.

"That's a neat title. What do you make of it, Yang?"

"Not bad, I suppose."

"A rather poetic title I think," Weiss interjected, "but one I like anyway. What idea prompted it?"

"When he heard it in Liverpool, Sun got the mental image of some woman running through a field of roses on a sunny morning."

"It was you he imagined, wasn't it," Yang dryly replied.

Blake's silence was all the confirmation Yang needed, and she and the others all giggled like idiots at Blake's mortified expense.

"When's the wedding happening?", Weiss teased after regaining her composure.

"After Neptune gets the hint and drags you to his cave," Blake fired back.

Weiss sputtered as her bandmates ceased to laugh _with_ her. After a while, Blake felt sorry for Weiss.

"And to be fair, I was more forward with him than Ruby or Yang will be with Scarlet and Sage."

 _That_ shut Ruby and Yang up, and gave cause for Blake and Weiss to start cackling together.

* * *

**A/N: Let's be honest; who _doesn't_ love watching the girls tease each other over crushes like this?**

**Next chapter will have the first recording session, focusing on Yang and Sage. Maybe the second session too, depending on what comes out.**

**I hope you've all enjoyed it so far, and f** **eel free to favourite and/or comment on the work.**


	3. Flame Trees

* * *

* * *

The much vaunted Saturday finally rolled around, and Sage was the first to arrive at Abbey Road Studios. He knew from long experience that being on time meant arriving _at least_ fifteen minutes earlier than advertised, so he rounded the corner at the stroke of eleven that morning. He found himself staring at a _very_ familiar purple Econoline and blue Thames 400 as they pulled into the parking lot.

"What the ..." Sage muttered as he sped along the zebra crossing towards RWBY. He slowed down just as Yang jumped out of the passenger side door of Blake's Econoline.

"Hey Sage," Yang called out. "Are we too early?"

"Well … not really," Sage answered. "If you're bringing in your drums and so on, there's just enough time to get them set up and miked. I didn't realise you were doing that, that's all."

"Fair enough. The session's four hours long, right?"

"We'll cover for you if you take longer than that," Sage vowed as the other three girls dismounted from the vans. "Have you got plans or something?"

"We're due in Brighton by seven-thirty tonight," Yang responded promptly. "I got the call yesterday at my day job."

"Really? You handle the band's bookings at work?"

"Well, my father runs a chemical plant in Pentonville, and I work as his typist. That means I get my own office and phone number, which I've always used for booking gigs for the band."

"I guess it avoids one of you having to forgo work for that," Sage admitted as Neptune's car approached the studio. "Shall we get the stuff loaded in?"

"Sure thing," Yang admitted. At that moment, the front door opened, and a younger man in mint-green slacks and a white dress shirt barrelled out of the studio.

"Sage," the man called out, "Studio 2's been cleared and prepared as you requested."

"Good work, Oscar," Sage replied. Oscar nodded with a smile and entered the building quickly, and Sage turned to face Yang, who looked curious.

"Is that our engineer for the session?"

"Yeah, Oscar Pine's his name. Barely out of school, but _by Jove_ he's good. Oz took a chance on him last year, and he's proved a good catch."

"And I guess that this Oz is George Ozpin?"

"You bet," Sage averred as Weiss opened the back of her van. "Assuming the label agrees to sign you all on, he'd be pretty keen to help produce the records."

* * *

Half an hour later, the band had finished loading in the gear within Studio 2, the hallowed room which the Yeatles favoured. Yang and Sage were finished checking the tuning of the drums, having made small adjustments to each drum's notes while Neptune helped Weiss set up her rig, with Ruby and Blake needing little time at all to set up theirs. Both bands then took a breather while Oscar began to pick out and place the microphones across the room.

Due to the Yeatles insisting on a live feeling to the recording session, a pair of synchronised four-track tape recorders were being used for the session instead of one, so that all four instruments could be recorded simultaneously and still leave room to bounce the tracks down to mono. A Neumann U48 placed near Yang's kick drum went to the first channel of the first desk, while a Neumann KM84 on the snare drum and a Coles 4038 hovering over her kit got sent to the second and third channels. The fourth channel, as always, was reserved for bouncing the drums once they were recorded.

On the second desk, the first channel got the signal from an AKG C214 sitting in front of Blake's AC30, while a duo of MD-421s and another U48 respectively sent the top and bottom speakers of Weiss's Leslie cabinet to the second channel, with all three of her keyboards going into it as usual. As for Ruby, her dual amplifiers were recorded by a second pair of MD-421s and sent to the third channel. A final MD-421 sat on a boom stand, intended for guide vocals mid-performance, but RWBY were determined not to use it, so as not to spoil their instrumental parts.

Finally, the clock ticked over to noon, and the band shouldered their instruments and readied their headphones as Oscar approached the band.

"Remember ladies," Oscar said as he paused on his way to the control room, "play as loud as you're going to in the session when I check each of your instruments. That way, I'll be able to ensure a quality mix for the label to listen to. Same goes for singing."

"Thanks for the tip, Oscar," Ruby chirped. Oscar blushed slightly as he walked away, managing to fight the blush down before he returned to the control room and began the sound-check, RWBY eagerly awaiting their first chance to capture their work onto magnetic tape.

* * *

Twenty minutes of checking and two takes of each song later, Yang and Ruby began to methodically pack their instruments away while Oscar decided to use the second take of each song and bounced the drums down to the fourth track on the first desk, then shifted the freshly-recorded bass guitar and normal guitar parts over to the second and third channel on the same desk. Oscar then waited until Ruby and Yang had finished and left the live room before preparing the synchronised second desk for overdubbing Blake and Weiss's solos, as well as adding piano and acoustic guitar parts to the songs that needed them.

Not changing how Blake and Weiss's electric instruments were getting recorded, Oscar trained one Neumann KM84 on the Steinway Weiss had eyed upon entering the room, and another stood a foot away from where Blake would be sitting with her Taylor twelve-string.

"Just so you two are aware," Oscar explained as the two women approached their seats and instruments, "we're recording the piano and the acoustic guitar at the same time, on the same channel. So if either of you make a mistake, we'll need to redo the whole take."

"Understood," Blake averred.

"We'll do our best to be efficient, Oscar," Weiss concurred.

Oscar nodded, and plugged the cables into their slots before retreating to the control room. Ruby and the Yeatles were within the room observing the proceedings, while Yang decided to take a bathroom break. After another duo of takes for _Shine_ and _Wings_ , it was time to record the guitar solos for both of Ruby's numbers and Weiss's solo on _Shine_. Weiss left the room as Blake fished out her ES-335 and plugged it into her AC30, coaxing a tone that Oscar enjoyed upon first hearing it. He quickly piped the microphone trained on the amp into the second channel of the extra desk, then dashed back into the control room to start recording the twin solos.

After Blake's solos were finished in one take each, it was Weiss's turn to add her keyboard solos. Oscar made sure to plug her keyboard microphones into the same channel, given that she was soloing on a different song, before recording her parts. Again, it took but one straight pass before Weiss was satisfied with the end result. After Weiss and Blake had finished packing their gear away, the four left the room with their instruments in their cases as Oscar began the process of mixing six different tracks into a unified backing track.

* * *

"Shall we break for lunch?", Weiss asked as they walked towards the front door.

"That'd be great," Blake answered. "We should eat something light, though. Wouldn't want to sing on a totally full stomach."

"There's a cafe on Wellington Street that we sometimes go to for food," Sun offered. "We can take you there if you like."

"You offering to pay, sailor?", Blake replied with a coquettish smirk, causing Sun to blush and the other men to hide their grins.

As the eight musicians strode out, the Yeatles to a man all donned hats and sunglasses. Only Neptune felt wary enough to don the fake moustache though, the others having gained enough confidence to walk the streets of London without them after Sun's lunch with Blake earlier in the week.

As they walked and talked, Sage noticed that Ruby, Weiss and Blake were happy with their performances and the other Yeatles were as confident as they'd ever been about their new friends. But he noticed that Yang's usually confident bearing wasn't present for once. Sage, realising what was troubling Yang as she looked increasingly downcast, took her aside as the others walked ahead towards the cafe.

"Trouble in paradise?"

"You could say that," Yang muttered quietly. "I got the timing wrong on every song's first take today."

"You came down with red-light fever?"

"Well … yes, I did," Yang admitted, with some degree of embarrassment. "I managed to fight the jitters off, but we needed a second take for each song and I know Weiss and Blake weren't impressed about that."

Sage looked uncertain. "Are you sure they'd be that critical?"

"Those two keep the band on task during rehearsals, so I'm certain of it."

"Well, I'm not so sure. None of you have ever recorded music before now, right?"

"Yes; what of it?"

"Well, they'll cut you some slack for sure," Sage replied, "not least because I spotted Weiss and Blake making blunders of their own during the first take of their overdubs of _Wings_."

"That's news to me, and a _huge_ weight off my shoulders," the drummer admitted. "I just hope the singing sessions go more smoothly than the instrumental ones."

"Don't worry Yang; most folks need multiple takes to get instrumental takes down. Hell, there's been days where we've recorded the same song or two over and over again, _solely_ to get the sound right. So long as you four have something hot to eat and avoid dairy, you'll be fine when the singing starts."

"That's true; I'm just worried about arriving on time for the gig at Brighton tonight."

"Fair enough," Sage replied as they approached the cafe, "but we'll probably have you four redo these songs for a more polished sound when the label signs you up, so I'd suggest relaxing when doing the singing today."

"That's good to hear. Thanks for the pep talk, Sage," Yang said with a tender smile as Sage let her enter first. As they did, Neptune and Sun were ordering food with Blake and Weiss, while Scarlet and Ruby snagged a large table.

"By the way, Ruby," Scarlet started as the two sat down, "am I correct in thinking that _Red Like Roses_ is written from two different perspectives?"

"Yeah – it's basically an argument between mother and daughter."

"I see; I was just wondering if you could ask one of your bandmates to sing one of the two parts?"

Ruby looked somewhat confused at the suggestion. "Why though? I use different vocal colours to highlight the difference; blues shout for the mother, and a cleaner tone for the daughter."

"That's true," Scarlet allowed. "I just thought that having Weiss or Blake sing the mother's part might make that difference more apparent."

"Maybe if we re-record the song, we could do that," Ruby suggested. "But for today, I think it'd be less nerve-wracking if I did all the lead vocals."

"Fair enough," Scarlet conceded as the others sat down at the table.

* * *

By the time the bands returned to Studio 2 at two o'clock, Oscar was ready and waiting to do the vocals, and a pair of assistants were moving the commandeered tape deck back to its usual resting place.

"Everything ready for the vocal sessions, Oscar?"

"Sure enough, Sun," the young engineer replied. "I've gone and bounced the instruments down to a mono backing track, and we'll record the lead vocals on the second track and backgrounds on the third. We've got a U47 ready for it, so we should be fine."

"How's our performances sounding so far?", Weiss asked.

"As first times go, I haven't seen better," Oscar replied softly, eliciting a smile from the girls. "I haven't done much to the performances either; just some mild compression on the drums and bass, plate reverb on the drums and piano, and a little equalising on the keyboards."

"That's good to hear," Scarlet said confidently. "How do you wish to go about recording the vocals?"

"We'll do the lead vocals for the songs first," Oscar replied, "and we'll do _Red Like Roses_ , _Shine_ , _This Will Be The Day_ and _Wings –_ the same order as we recorded the instruments. After that, we'll switch the microphone's input to channel three and get the background vocals done."

"Sounds good to me," Ruby replied confidently. "Shall we begin?"

And so it passed. Oscar fed the compressed lead vocal through a faint, short echo with the studio's own Echoplex on Ruby's two numbers, and an equally faint plate reverb was used on Weiss and Blake's tracks. Ruby did her two numbers in one shot each, while Blake took two takes for _Wings_ and Weiss needed three to get _Shine_ right.

When the background vocals for the first three songs were due to be recorded, Oscar changed the pickup pattern on the microphone from cardioid to omnidirectional, and had the singers stand in a semi-circle that faced into the control room. Yang and Blake sung the soprano and alto lines on all three tracks, while Ruby sung the mezzo-soprano line on _Shine_ before walking out and letting Weiss sing her lines on Ruby's songs. Before they started, Oscar slightly increased the amount of reverb on the track, so as to create more depth in the recording.

By half past three that afternoon, the recording session had finished, and RWBY all walked back into the control room with satisfaction at getting the recording session under their belt.

"Can we hear what we've done yet, Oscar?", Ruby asked giddily.

"We can," Oscar replied, being sure to adjust the levels of the vocal tracks accordingly. "I've yet to properly mix the background vocals, but it should sound fine. Just bear in mind that I'll need to adjust that as you listen."

"Fair enough," Blake responded as Oscar rewound the tape, then began to play _Red Like Roses_.

After the tape had finished, Oscar hit rewind and turned back to face the band. Ruby seemed to be in sheer bliss, Weiss and Yang were looking confident, and there was a slight glint in Blake's eyes that belied her stoic expression.

"Getting signed to the label won't be any trouble for you, I dare say," Oscar started with a easy smile. "I must say I'm looking forward to working with you four."

"Likewise," Blake replied, allowing herself to smile at the young engineer. "You're quite a capable man, and anyone can see you've got quite a career ahead of you in this field."

"Thank you," Oscar replied, smiling bashfully. As Oscar turned around to begin the final mixdown for the band's sales pitch on Monday, RWBY duly took their leave to go to Brighton after the Yeatles helped them load their vans.

But not before a few arrangements were made between the members of the two bands.

* * *

**A/N: I initially had this chapter end with Yang and Sage going on a date, but felt that it was best postponed for the next chapter along with the band's signing.**

**As I'm sure you've guessed by now, both Oscar and Ozpin take the place of real-life people in this fic. While Ozpin's an obvious replacement for Sir George Martin, it may be surprising to learn that Oscar is actually this AU's version of a young Alan Parsons; while the genuine article started working at Abbey Road in 1967, he did get his start working on the last couple of Beatles records.**

**For those who are wondering why I go nuts over the technical/historical side of music and recording for this piece, I do that stuff for two reasons. One, I majored in audio engineering as part of my music degree, so I find the knowledge of old microphones and recording techniques useful in scoping out a music-based setting. I've read a few music!AU RWBY fics before, and have always found myself tearing my hair out at the inaccuracies within, so I feel obliged to provide accurate representation of the stuff that goes into making music.**

**The second reason is that I wanted to give a clear idea of what the RWBY soundtrack might've sounded like before metal was so much as conceived of, let alone invented. There won't be too much of this stuff after this point though, with only one more chapter slated to mainly consist of recording.**

**Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the ride so far, and I look forward to releasing the next chapter soon.**


	4. Signed and Dated

###  **Signed and Dated**

At nine the following Sunday, Blake was completing the Sunday Guardian's crosswords after a wildly successful night at Brighton, while Yang and Ruby went to visit their father and Weiss was sleeping in. Unusually for her, Blake was dressed to kill, wearing a black silk dress that she'd sewn herself with matching heels and hosiery, with her purple lipstick and lilac eyeshadow setting off her tanned features along with an amethyst-laden necklace. But then again, a gentleman caller was due to show up any minute to escort her to the West End.

Finally, after a few agonising minutes nutting out the last two words in the puzzle, a hesitant knock on the door signalled the arrival of Blake's would-be suitor. Blake jumped from the recliner and opened the door whilst fixing a black hat. Awaiting her was a single primrose, held by Sun Wukong. For his trouble, the blond man looked sharp in his tan two-piece suit and Panama hat, and Blake was pleasantly surprised at the man's sense of style.

"Thanks for the primrose, Sun," Blake greeted while placing the flower within the hat itself. "I know we're heading to the West End, but what exactly are you taking me to?"

"Brunch at the Savoy," Sun replied as he led the lady of his recent dreams into the waiting black taxi. "Comes with free champagne."

"I suppose that's ... _adequate_ for a first date," Blake deadpanned with a smirk as she sat down and buckled up. "Hopefully the second date's even better than this."

Sun burst into laughter as the taxi began the pilgrimage between Camden Town and the Strand, and the two musicians soon found themselves leaning against each other as London slowly arose from slumber.

* * *

When they finally arrived at the luxuriant hotel, Sun got out first and held the door for Blake. The doorman recognised just _who_ had shown up, and quickly let the two in. Calmly striding towards the Savoy Restaurant, the two were summarily ushered to the nearest vacant table by one of the older waiters. Sun tucked Blake into her seat himself before sitting himself opposite her.

"Would sir or madam like something to drink?", the waiter asked.

"A glass of champagne each would be grand, thank you," Blake replied, her formal tones sparing the waiter from the high-pitched Scouse accent that Sun conveniently forgot that he had.

"Very well. Here's your menus."

The waiter handed Blake and Sun their menus before heading off to retrieve their drinks. Sun then began to smile.

"I should bring you here more often," he started. "It'd make the wait staff easier to deal with."

"So would elocution," Blake dryly riposted.

Sun chuckled at the roast. "That's true, but elocution isn't half as fun as listening to you talk, or sing for that matter."

"Really?", Blake noted with an amused expression, not caring to hide the blush that emerged on her cheeks.

"I'm serious. It's a wonder why we haven't gotten you to sing on one of our records, you're tongue's that talented."

Blake giggled into her hand as Sun realised his innuendo and blushed purple in embarrassment. As soon as she gathered her composure, Blake promptly thanked the waiter for the drinks and ordered a pair of full English breakfasts, knowing Sun's preference in cuisine matched her own to some degree. The eager nod Sun gave in response was vindication enough for the waiter, and he left to relay the order.

"Here's to the album," Sun proposed while holding up the champagne flute.

"And to us," Blake replied before clinking the glass against his. After downing half of her flute, Blake smiled coyly at Sun.

"After breakfast, what do you have planned?"

" _Well_ ," Sun lowly purred, "there's a hotel room upstairs with my name on it."

It took Blake a moment to understand what Sun said, and she blanched when she realised just what Sun was proposing.

"You don't have to go there if you don't want to," Sun quickly added, fearing the worst about his brazenness. "I wouldn't want to pressu-"

Blake held a finger to Sun's lips. "Let's wait until we finish our food. Then we'll go up there and see how I'm feeling about it."

"Good idea, Blakey," Sun breathed in relief, and Blake's resultant smile assured him that he hadn't royally blown it by doing that.

Eventually, the brunch came. Sun and Blake made a game of eating as formally as they could, complete with affected mannerisms and exaggerated accents until either one of them broke into laughter. Sun ungracefully lost when Blake ordered desserts in her Edith Evans impression, nearly falling out of his chair in a fit of giggles. After finishing their meal and thanking the waiter, Blake turned to Sun with a seductive smile.

"Want to take some champagne upstairs and have some fun?"

Sun nodded eagerly, and his easy smile melted Blake's heart. "You said it, sugarplum."

They walked out of the restaurant with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, and waltzed upstairs into Sun's room as they locked lips passionately. Sun hooked the "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door, and the two strode on in. And stayed within the room for a solid and steamy four hours.

At five that same afternoon, Blake returned to her home in Camden by taxi. She was slightly drunk, but deliriously happy at what had transpired that day, and remained teasingly tight-lipped over what she'd gotten up to with her new boyfriend.

It went without saying that the opulence of the Savoy Restaurant was an experience that Blake wouldn't be forgetting in a hurry – and neither was the blissful feeling of leaning into Sun's magnificent abs post-virginity.

* * *

At the stroke of ten that Monday, all four women strode into Abbey Road. Each was dressed for business, and looked striking in their respective suits. Sun and Neptune were waiting in the foyer, looking as sharp as they did in their usual stage garb, and standing with them was George Ozpin himself, the man widely considered to be the "fifth Yeatle" by those in the music industry. Sun was the first to notice the women as they approached, and Blake allowed herself to feel smug when she saw Sun's face light up. Neptune then caught on and turned to greet them.

"Hello Weiss," he sheepishly greeted with a bashful smile as Ozpin turned to face the newcomers.

"Why _hello_ , Neptune," Weiss purred back as Sun greeted the other three girls. Turning towards the older man of the three, Weiss smiled confidently.

"George Ozpin, I presume?"

"You presume correctly, Miss Schnee," the producer replied as the two shook hands. "Shall we head to my office?"

"We may as well," Neptune replied, and the group began to move. Ten minutes later, the six musicians parked their backsides in front of Ozpin's desk as the man approached his liquor cabinet and produced a bottle of middle-shelf sherry, along with seven glasses on a small tray.

"Alright, let's get down to business," Ozpin announced as he put the tray down and produced a written contract, handing it to Weiss. "After Sun and I played the tape for the men at EMI, they fell over themselves to have you join our roster. The deal that EMI has got on offer for you is as follows: you'll have to record at least three albums for EMI, and they claim a fifteen-percent stake in the sales. However, you four retain copyright over your songs, and therefore get the royalties."

"That's reasonable," Weiss responded.

"What about the touring side of things?", Blake responded.

"That's more complex," Ozpin admitted. "The simplified version of it is that the venue hire and promoter's fees are borne by EMI in exchange for ten percent of the ticket price. The crew and other expenses then get paid, and you four take what's left. Feel free to peruse the contract before signing it."

"Don't worry," Weiss responded calmly. "We will."

She and Yang then began to pore over the document, with Yang's secretarial skills and the lingo Weiss had gleaned from her father aiding them in the task, while Ruby and Blake made small talk with the men in the room over the drink that Ozpin had provided. After twenty minutes turning the thing inside and out, the pair were satisfied that they weren't going to get screwed over by the record company, and jointly signed the contract with Blake and Ruby.

"Splendid," Ozpin cheered. "Shall we organise the next recording session for this Saturday?"

"We shall," Weiss averred, not caring about having to squeeze a second day off out of her father.

* * *

At seven that very evening, Sage waited outside the studios, dressed in decidedly less formal wear than Sun had done the previous day. Glancing down at his watch, Sage noted that the woman he was waiting on was running behind time.

"Where the hell _is_ she?", he muttered beneath his breath. To his surprise, a gold-painted Triumph Tigress promptly roared around the corner and pulled to a stop near him. The blonde mane that exuded from beneath the helmet was unmistakable, and the tight jeans and brown leather boots left little to the imagination.

"Yang, good to see you!", Sage greeted as he approached the motorcycle.

"Looking mighty fine, Sage," Yang replied, lifting the visor from her features. "I've got a few ideas of where to head out for dinner tonight, so I'll leave the choice to you."

"So long as it isn't a steakhouse, I'm game for anything," Sage replied.

"Wait, are you vegetarian?", Yang asked. "It's just ... I've never seen a vegetarian _that_ muscular before meeting you."

Sage chuckled in response, though not without blushing. "Not quite. My stomach doesn't agree with red meat or chicken at all, but I can have any type of seafood I like. Pescetarian's the word for it, I'm told."

" _Ah_ , I get you. Though I guess you eat vegetarian whenever you're not at a place with seafood?"

"Pretty much. The upside is that it doesn't really affect me until dinner, and even then I've got options."

"It should be said that I'm pretty fond of fish myself, so long as there's chips involved," Yang admitted.

"I like the way you think," Sage mirthfully responded. "Shall we do that for dinner?"

"Sure; why not?"

Yang handed Sage a spare helmet as he mounted the scooter, and he barely had the time to fasten it before the Tigress roared down the road.

An hour later, Yang and Sage had finished eating the fish and chips at a two-bedroom flat in Soho, where Sage stayed whenever he needed to play sessions at the EMI studios. The night had gone well, and Sage knew a second date was on the cards. But then Yang said something that completely blindsided him.

"Would you like a shag?"

Sage sputtered before regaining some composure. "I mean … only if you want to," he breathlessly replied, _clearly_ taken by surprise at Yang's hungriness.

"Trust me," Yang purred sultrily as she leaned into Sage's face, "I _want_ to."

Sage sagged in relief and nodded as Yang led the Jamaican-born inside his room by the tie, while the latter found the protection that lurked in his jeans pocket.

Yang ended up staying for breakfast the next morning, and Sage knew it would be the first of many with the blonde beauty.

* * *

**A/N: Yep, they went there.**

**My apologies for not getting this out sooner, but one of my computer's hard drives basically carked it at the start of last month - thankfully, none of my stories were on said hard-drive - but it took a while to diagnose and then fix the problem.**

**Not sure when the next chapter will come out, but it'll revolve around Weiss. Stay tuned!**


	5. Prussian Blues

###  **Prussian Blues**

* * *

The following weekend, RWBY were ready to do the second session – and this time, the band had sacrificed the chance to play in their favourite pub in Canterbury to allow for a full day's work. Oscar had arrived earlier in the day, as was his custom, and had wired the instruments into the synchronised desks as he'd done the first time, with Ozpin assisting him this time. The following two hours were spent recording the remaining songs within the band's repertoire – in order, they recorded _Dawn of the English Roses_ , _Dream Come True_ , _Not Fall In Love_ , _I Burn_ and _Let's Just Live_. While most of the songs were done in one or two takes, _Dawn of the English Roses_ required four takes to get right – the first two takes were burned to Yang's jitters, and the third attempt crashed to a halt after Ruby's guitar strap came loose and her bass nearly fell to the ground.

After Oscar bounced down the drums to one track on the first desk and shifted the bass and guitar tracks over to the same desk, he recorded Blake's solos for the last four songs on the second desk, and then used another channel to record Weiss's piano for _Let's Just Live_ , which underpinned the Wurlitzer and Farfisa parts she'd recorded earlier. This was promptly followed by the backing track for _Home_. Weiss remained at the piano as Blake picked up her acoustic twelve-string and used her fingers for softer articulation. Yang proceeded to use a pair of maracas to keep time, while Ruby bowed a double bass for some ballast – the latter two captured by a pair of MD-421s, and all four sent into the same channel. Three takes later, and both the engineer and the producer were satisfied with their endeavours; as Ozpin averred to Oscar over beers later that evening, it paid to be well-rehearsed and disciplined musicians.

After listening back to the songs while warming up her voice, Ruby suddenly had an idea.

"Why don't we add a string section to _Home_ , to compliment the double bass thing I did?"

The band exchanged glances for a few moments, before Oscar spoke up.

"It'd be worth a shot. I'll only try overdubbing it after the vocals are done, however; that'll give you girls some time to figure out an arrangement."

Weiss nodded. "In that case, may I do _Dream Come True_ first? That way, I'll whip up an arrangement for the song."

"Sure thing," Oscar replied.

"Not that I don't want to try using a string section," Blake interjected carefully, "but how will we perform this live?"

"I already do the double bass parts live on Weiss's organ while she plays the piano parts," Ruby pointed out. "It wouldn't be a stretch to do the string parts at the same time."

"That's a fair point," Blake admitted; she knew that Ruby had enough skill with the piano to write the song in the first place. Weiss, loathe as she was to let others touch her instruments, did trust Ruby well enough to do it and nodded in affirmation.

"That's settled then," Oscar concluded. "I reckon an octet should do it – two cellists, two violists and four violinists, for a lush sound."

"Shall I ring our usual people in?", Ozpin asked.

"It wouldn't hurt," the young engineer concluded. As Ozpin set out to do just that, Weiss entered the vocal booth for her song.

* * *

After two takes, Weiss made a beeline for the couch in the back of the control room and began to sketch out a rough arrangement on her notepad. She did her best to tune out the vocal warm-ups Yang was doing in the booth as her creativity possessed her to feverishly complete the task at hand. When Weiss finished, Yang had nailed her lone lead vocal in one take and Ruby was just finishing up her last take for _Let's Just Live_. At that moment, Neptune entered the studio.

"Going well?"

"So far, it's been splendid," Weiss admitted as she looked up from the couch. "We've finished everything except Blake's lead vocal on _Home_ , all of the background vocals, and a string section on _Home_."

"That sounds exciting," Neptune enthused. "Do you have an arrangement for the strings ready? I could make you one if you like."

"No need," Weiss politely rebuffed, holding up the paper in her hand. "Before I sung my remaining lead vocal, Ruby and Oscar suggested the use of strings to back up the upright bass. I've created this rough outline of the arrangement while waiting for Yang and Ruby to finish their vocal parts. Care to take a look?"

"Sure thing," Neptune replied, sitting next to Weiss as he pored over the pianist's handiwork. Weiss watched avidly as Neptune's face reacted to the ideas she'd put into play, taking some elated amusement in viewing his surprise and candid amazement. When he'd finished reading the chart, Neptune looked even _more_ enthusiastic.

"This is pretty darned good, Weiss," he acceded while handing back the paper. "Ozpin might have one or two ideas about the dynamics of the sections, but I don't think we'll need to change a note of this at all."

"That's pretty good news," Ozpin said suddenly, having re-entered the room. "The bad news is we'll need to ring in our contracted strings players next weekend at the earliest."

"That's hardly any problem," Weiss quickly assured as Ruby walked out of the vocal booth. "It'd give Oscar time to mix down the rest of the album, if nothing else."

"That's a fair point," Ozpin admitted. "We'll lock it in for next Saturday." Turning to the four women in the room, Ozpin produced a pencil and notepad. "Now, I've got a few questions for you four. First up, have you come to a decision on the track listing?"

"We talked it over on Friday evening, actually," Blake said next. "On side A, it'll be _Dawn Of The English Roses_ , _This Will Be The Day_ , _Shine_ , and _Red Like Roses_. As for side B, we'll start with _I Burn_ , then _Not Fall In Love_ , _Dream Come True_ , _Let's Just Live_ , and _Wings_ to finish."

"Right then," Ozpin noted, jotting down the information in perfect shorthand. "Any decisions on singles?"

"We're going with _This Will Be The Day_ and _Red Like Roses_ , while _Home_ and _Shine_ will be their B-sides," Weiss promptly replied.

"Good move," Ozpin complemented. "One last thing; have you decided on an album cover?"

All four women exchanged slightly panicked glances.

"N-no, not at all," Ruby stammered. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I do," Ozpin replied. "If you're all free tomorrow at say, two in the afternoon, I've got something planned."

"We've got nothing on, as far as I'm aware … " Blake hesitantly responded. Quick nods from the other three exuded relief into Blake's system, and Ozpin handed Yang a business card.

"Excellent. I'll let the photographer know what's coming. Be sure to bring your stage attire and so on to this address."

"You're on," Yang affirmed as Blake began to warm-up for her last lead vocal for the album.

* * *

The following day, having finally completed their input into the album, all four members of RWBY showed up with their wardrobe, drumsticks and guitars at a three-storey town house in Knightsbridge, one of the wealthier suburbs of Greater London. But as the four ladies discovered upon their punctual entrance, it was anything but. Maybe the two upper floors were still residential, but the ground floor they were slated to be working in was a _bona fide_ photography studio.

A room off to the right of the entrance served as the dark room, where the photographs would develop after being taken, while the linen closet that stood opposite stored a number of camera lenses and spare lights. The large space ahead of them was the photography room itself, and the windows had been boarded up and covered in dry wall to control the lighting. Lastly, a smaller room on the left side of the house now served as a dressing and make-up room, separated from the closet by a flight of stairs.

Ozpin was standing in the photography room, talking with a pair of tall young men. The blonde one was dressed like a beatnik that had discovered the colour blue, while the man with Asian features wore a green Hawaiian shirt and sandals with his dark jeans. Ozpin craned his neck as he heard the door opened, and smiled as the ladies entered.

"Our clients have arrived," he stated as the other two men turned to face the band. "Ladies, I'd like to introduce you to our favourite photographers – Pignoses Studios."

"Jaune Arc, at your service," the blonde man greeted with a smile. "I'll be your photographer for this afternoon," the Lyons native added after dragging his cigarette.

"And I'm Lie Ren," the Asian man added, his accent denoting an upbringing in Hong Kong. "I'll be responsible for designing your album cover."

"Nice to meet you two," Weiss started. "I'm Weiss Schnee, and they are Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna," she added while indicating her bandmates.

"A pleasure, mademoiselles," Jaune replied. "Ozpin said you brought your stage wardrobe and whatnot for the photographs?"

"Indeed we did," Blake confirmed, pointing at the large suitcase Yang had trawled in with her.

"I see. That should make light work for Pyrrha and Nora, our make-up artist and hairdresser respectively. Both of them are proper seamstresses as well, but using your own stage clothes will make this a breeze. Shall we get started?"

Ten minutes later, the four ladies had changed into their stage attire in the wardrobe room. Blake and Weiss wore the same hairstyles off-stage as they did performing on it, so they sat in the photography studio proper and chatted while awaiting their turn to get make-up done. Yang and Ruby, meanwhile, had remained in what had become a miniature hair salon, with suitcases of clothes piled two meters high along the wall adjoining the photography room and a pair of second-hand barber's chairs facing a pair of full-length mirrors on the far wall.

"Hello ladies," a quiet voice greeted as the door to the room opened behind Yang and Ruby. Turning around in their salon chairs, the sisters were stunned at the dissonance between the demure soprano voice they'd just heard … and the six feet of tanned skin, muscular Greek curves and auburn hair that it belonged to.

"You're Pyrrha, right?", Ruby asked.

"Indeed," Pyrrha Nikos replied.

"We're doing the hair first, right?", Yang asked. "I usually style mine in a bouffant, so I'd prefer if that got done before the make-up."

"That's more or less what we planned to do," Pyrrha replied as she swanned into the room. "Nora will be down here in just a moment to get started on the hair."

Looking past Pyrrha as she began to open her make up cases, Ruby noticed that Weiss and Blake seemed equally astonished at the sight of the Thessalonian as she and Yang were a minute ago. Barely a second later, a pint-sized ginger woman skipped into view with a wide smile adorning her freckled face.

"Hello everyone!", she called in a dulcet Dublin brogue.

 _This should be fun_ , Yang observed as Nora reached for the hairspray.

* * *

The following weekend, the band was overseeing the recording of the string section for Home when Neptune came into the control room with a package, slightly out of breath.

"The Pignoses team have finished the album cover, ladies," Neptune breathed as Weiss took the offered record sleeve.

The front cover resembled a Polaroid picture with a white square border, and the best head shots Jaune had taken of the four girls arranged in the middle. The album title was emblazoned in black calligraphy on the top border, while the band's name appeared in capital letters on the bottom. Each letter was coloured the same as the background painted in by the Pignoses team – red for Ruby, azure for Weiss, purple for Blake and gold for Yang.

The back cover showed the best group shot they'd taken that day, with the track listing on display in black text in the top left corner, with copyright information and credits in the bottom left corner. Ren had been careful to avoid putting text over the girls, and was equally careful in painting in a light blue backdrop for the piece. As for the image itself, it would've worked just fine for the front cover.

Blake had leant over and rested her arms on her Gibson's headstock on the left of shot, while Weiss sat primly on a piano stool on the right with sheet music in hand and a sedate smile on her face. Yang folded her arms, her sticks nestled in the crook of her right elbow, while leaning against the back wall with a cocky expression, and Ruby sat on the floor in centre shot with her bass poking out behind her left side. Her legs were outstretched, and she was looking seductively at the camera.

"So, what do you all make of it?", Neptune asked.

Weiss nodded slowly, clearly impressed with the results. "I can't really speak for the others, Neptune, but that _definitely_ works for me. The Polaroid effect will help it sell, and Jaune _really_ knows his way around a camera."

"That settles it for me," Blake replied mirthfully with her trademark smirk. "The princess complementing another artist so fulsomely is the rarest, most powerful stamp of approval you're likely to get."

" _Very_ funny, you smug git," Weiss testily ground out while Yang and Ruby cackled at Blake's quip. Regaining her composure quickly, Yang spoke next.

"Me and Ruby both approve," she assured while Ruby nodded eagerly.

"Splendid!", Neptune replied lightly. "I'll let them know we've got a winner on our hands. And Weiss, are you free this evening?"

Weiss had arranged to do some writing with Ruby, but knowing looks from her bandmates informed her that they'd just defenestrated those plans for Weiss's own good.

"I … suppose I am," she responded nervously. "Can you meet me at the entrance at six-thirty?"

"No problem. I'll see you then!"

Neptune took the record sleeve and then took his leave while Weiss turned to face her bandmates with a disapproving look.

"You put him up to that, didn't you."

"No," Yang replied. "Sun put him up to it, after Blake put Sun up to that."

"After Sun put _something_ up Blake, no doubt."

Blake sputtered and blushed furiously as Ruby and Yang collapsed with laughter at Weiss's retaliatory quip. Weiss eventually allowed herself to smirk as even Oscar succumbed to a giggling fit at Blake's expense.

* * *

At half-past six that night, Weiss awaited outside the entrance for Neptune to arrive. A white dress, more conservative than the blue mini-dress she used on stage, adorned her svelte frame beneath an azure cardigan and matching boots. With her alabaster hair worn loose behind her back and beneath a fedora that matched her eyes, Weiss looked every inch a cowboy's fantasy. When Neptune arrived at the door two minutes later, the sight of her turning to greet him only made him more assured of what Sun had told him.

"Whoa … Weiss, you look heavenly tonight."

"Why thank you, you charming man," Weiss replied with a growing smile. "You look more suave than Sean Connery in that suit."

Neptune chuckled at that. "You really are an inveterate flatterer. I guess Sun was right when he said you'd be a good match for me."

"He did? Why did he suggest me?", Weiss asked.

"I'm … not sure what you mean, Weiss," Neptune replied gently.

"It's just … you've got women likely throwing themselves at you wherever you go; why choose someone who's held herself back from doing the same?"

"Having women go into heat every time I go near them gets tiring after four years of it," Neptune admitted. "Even though you're clearly attracted to me, you didn't surrender your sanity to it and actually got to know me as a person before the topic was broached."

"Surely my patience isn't the _only_ reason you got smitten with me," Weiss coyly riposted.

"Well, I ... I must admit, you've got an unearthly grace about you that's so … alluring," Neptune blurted out, staring at the ground awkwardly. "And your voice basically scoured my soul clean when I heard you sing for the first time."

Casting his gaze back to the woman he'd just bared his soul to, he saw that Weiss lacked her usual self-assured bearing. Instead, she seemed genuinely surprised and touched about what he'd just revealed.

"Neptune … I don't know what to say," she candidly admitted. "I've only ever gotten complements on my wealth, my fashion sense … never anything unique to _me_ as a person."

"Well, I guess that's what you give the girl who has everything," Neptune quipped.

Weiss snorted and giggled at the joke, and Neptune realised that the sound of her laughter and her natural smiles were other things that he'd grown to love about the girl. After she regained her composure, Weiss looked teasingly at Neptune.

"Do you want to know what I'd give to the man who has everything?"

"Sure I do," Neptune replied, knowing where this was going.

Weiss came forward, and took Neptune's hands in her own as she got on the tips of her toes, staring into his oceanic eyes as he craned his neck down. Weiss's arms flew around her new lover's waist as she and Neptune leaned into the kiss and surrendered themselves to the throes of passion. After fifteen seconds, Weiss released herself and slid her arm around his back.

"Shall we step out tonight, my prince?" she whispered.

"Absolutely, my queen."

Neptune duly led her to the Savoy Hotel for dinner, before delivering her to her door with a kiss.

Unlike their bandmates, they saved the shagging for the second date.

* * *

**A/N: Took long enough.**

**I must admit, I had some reservations about the album being recorded in three weekends, but I learned that the Beatles did their first album in two days straight. And the Pignoses name is a reference to the Hipgnosis team, who did a plethora of album covers back in the day - including the Venus and Mars album by Paul McCartney and Wings.**

**Anyway, there should only be one more chapter after this. Maybe two, depending on how much I end up writing. Stay tuned!**


	6. Scarlet Fever

###  **Scarlet Fever**

* * *

Once the calendar flipped over to July, EMI began to promote the newest band on their roster. On the 4th of the month, the _This Will Be The Day_ / _Home_ single was released, followed up by the _Red Like Roses/Shine_ release on the 11th and the album proper's debut on the 15th. Radio One was quick to chance on the singles, and a much-publicised interview that Neptune had given about RWBY on England's dominant medium of musical dissemination served to boost the profile of the new album.

Before long, all three releases broke into the top 10, with _This Will Be The Day_ managing to rise to number three on the Billboard charts. EMI knew there and then that the Yeatles' belief in RWBY's potential had been vindicated. The girls were elated, and looking forward to a tour of the British Isles being planned for August with the Yeatles, and the windfall from their sales was sure to enable them to quit their day jobs before the tour kicked off.

As the 16th of July approached its end, Weiss clocked off from the jewellery store in Covent Garden that she'd been working in since moving out – one of several that her father managed. While she'd normally have taken the monthly trip to the Midlands with her band tonight, she'd had to delay the departure because her sister was visiting home; it wasn't often that an army nurse stationed in West Germany was able to take some time off, after all.

So instead of taking the Northern tube from Leicester Square Station back to Mornington Crescent, Weiss instead took the Piccadilly tube and headed west until she arrived at the Knightsbridge Station. After alighting the train, Weiss made good time in getting to the Sloane Street manor that had been her home until she'd finished high school. Glancing down at her watch outside the entrance, Weiss was relieved to note that she was five minutes early and knocked on the door firmly.

"Good to see you, Weiss," Klein Sieben greeted as he opened the door not five seconds later.

"Likewise, Klein," Weiss warmly responded as she hugged him; she'd always had a soft spot for her family's butler. "Is my sister here yet?"

"Indeed she is," Klein replied as he led Weiss inside. "She and your Mother are heading towards the parlour as we speak. Whitley won't be coming home from Harrow until tomorrow morning, though."

"That's fine," Weiss replied as she ascended the stairs; she'd never liked his snottiness one bit. Upon reaching the head of the stairs, Weiss finally saw her sister for the first time since last Christmas.

"Winter!"

Winter Schnee turned around and hugged her sister fondly.

"Good to see you well, Weiss. I take it you came straight from work?"

"Indeed. Good day's sales, all in all," Weiss replied, leading her sister into the parlour where Willow Schnee was waiting.

"How are you, Mother?"

"Quite well, Weiss," the elder Schnee replied. "Today marks two months of sobriety for me."

"Well done!", Weiss congratulated. "Shall we send for some coffee?"

"Klein was on his way to do that when you knocked, actually," Winter replied. "Give it a few minutes."

* * *

Five minutes later, the three Schnee ladies were indulging in a pre-dinner cup of coffee when the door opened. Faintly hearing Klein greeting Johannes, the women prepared themselves for their patriarch's arrival; while calm and well-mannered, his temper did have a mercurial streak. Yet nothing could've prepared them for the _very_ familiar LP that Johannes had tucked under his arm when he entered the room with his default stern expression.

"Explain this."

Weiss blanched as her blood ran frigid in fear; she just _knew_ that her conservative-to-a-fault father would tan her hide over hiding this from him.

"You _made_ an album?!", Winter yelped in surprise.

"I'd heard tell of a new girl group that was making waves," Willow admitted. "I'd never have guessed that you were one of them though …"

"When were you planning on telling us about this little _hobby_ of yours?", Johannes asked as he sat down.

"After dinner," Weiss replied, and Johannes willed himself to relax as he realised Weiss wasn't planning on hiding this from him.

"I see," he continued in a calmer tone. "How long have you been engaging in musical endeavours?"

"It started after high school," Weiss admitted. "As you know, I moved in with my friend Ruby and her half-sister Yang after finishing school. Ruby was already a good bassist and Yang was learning drums, so the three of us decided to form a band there and then. It didn't hurt that the two of them were competent singers even then."

"Wait, I _remember_ those girls," Willow realised. "Their father's the half-Chinese man who runs that plant in Pentonville," she added to jog her husband's memory. As he nodded in recognition, Winter continued the enquiry.

"What of the guitarist? However did you meet her?"

"Through a happy accident, Winter," Weiss recalled. "Two weeks after moving in, the three of us were already starting to write songs. However, we realised we needed a guitarist to complete the line up. As fate would have it, Yang went to a supermarket in Limehouse to meet with her then-boyfriend for a date when she saw an advertisement from a female guitarist seeking to join a band. After meeting up with Blake, Yang convinced her to try out for our group. She was capable on the guitar alright, but we all got knocked for six when the best contralto voice that I've ever heard emerged from her lips. We offered her a place within the band instantly, and she moved in with us one month later."

"How fortuitous," Johannes replied. "I take it the creation of this record was of equal serendipity?"

"Indeed it was. At the start of June, Yang managed to secure us a concert at the Empire in Liverpool at the last minute, supporting the Pacemakers. As fate would have it, the Yeatles were in attendance that night and offered us studio time to make a record and sign a deal with EMI. We accepted, and the rest is history."

For the rest of her life, Weiss would _cherish_ the reactions this piece of news brought. Willow gasped in surprise, Winter broke into laughter, and Johannes looked absolutely _stunned_ by the revelation; even a man as old-fashioned as he knew of the group that had given joy and hope to the youth in post-war Britain … and the influence they wielded in the world. After the three regained their composure, Johannes looked more relaxed about the whole affair.

"Well, with those young men backing you, I'm somewhat confident you'll turn a profit if and when you decide to go touring."

"And that leads me to the next part," Weiss replied. "I've been informed that we're going to be touring the British Isles, starting at the end of August."

"That should give enough time to train a replacement at the Covent Garden store then," Johannes admitted. "Should this venture fail though, I'd be happy to hand you your job back, no strings attached."

"That's comforting," Weiss admitted. "Yang and Blake both got told the same when their fathers found out, so our finances will be safe either way."

"What about Ruby?", Willow asked.

"I'm unsure," Weiss admitted, "but her skill as an electronics repairer is almost without peer. I'm confident that should the worst come to pass, Ruby will have no trouble finding work on that front."

After dinner, Weiss elected to talk with Willow and Winter in the parlour. The conversation now was much more lively as Weiss showered them with tales of the last two years of her musical achievements. Meanwhile, Weiss could faintly hear the album being played back-to-back in her father's study across the hall. As it finished, Willow retired for the evening and left the room.

"Well, I'd better get ready to turn in as well," Winter conceded.

"Before you do," Weiss interjected, "can I tell you a secret?"

"You may."

"I'm dating Neptune Vasilias."

The resultant silence was deafening, and Winter's glare was unmistakable.

"You _bitch_ ," Winter hissed, though a playful tone and smirk betrayed her words. "In all seriousness though, I'm glad he chose one of us. Even if he doesn't technically _need_ to come into money."

Weiss snorted as she began to laugh, and even Winter couldn't resist a chuckle.

"In any case, I look forward to hearing this record tomorrow morning. I wonder what Whitley will think of it."

"Really? I wonder if Whitley can think in the first place."

"Touche. Still, he'd probably like it."

"And if he doesn't, he will hold his silence," Johannes said as he entered the room. "I've just finished listening to the LP, and I must say, it's an _interesting_ selection of music you and your friends have made there."

"What parts of the album did you enjoy, Father?", Weiss asked with a nervous smile on her face.

"I liked the ballads the most," Johannes admitted. "While most of the music's a bit harsh for my ears, the softer three songs were amazing. The other thing I liked was the singing and lyrical depth; even the harsher songs were worth listening to because of the vocals. I, for one, am pleased that your mother's singing skill has been passed down to you."

"And I've you to thank for teaching me what you did about finance," Weiss replied with equal candour. "I was able to ensure that our recording deal with EMI was rock solid with the knowledge you gave me."

In that moment, Johannes' moustachioed face exuded fatherly pride for the first time. After how successful RWBY proved to be over the coming years, it was not to be the last.

* * *

At half-past eleven the following morning, Ruby was pulling her last shift at the radio repairs shop in Primrose Hill she'd been working in since leaving school. Her line of work had long since ensured Ruby's role as the quartermaster of the band's equipment – which entailed maintaining and sometimes building gear for their use.

The bell rung, alerting Ruby to a new customer. She looked up, and was surprised to find Scarlet standing in the doorway.

"Hey Ruby," Scarlet greeted nervously. "I've come to pick you up for the gig out at Birmingham. Me and Neptune were heading to Liverpool to see our families on Sunday, so we figured we'd escort you and Weiss to the Midlands tonight."

"How chivalrous of you, Scarlet," Ruby thanked. "Still, I'm due to finish in ten minutes; would you care to wait around until then?"

"Fair enough," Scarlet replied.

"Who's there, Ruby?", a rougher voice called out, its owner clearly hailing from Cardiff.

"My ride to Birmingham, uncle Qrow," Ruby replied.

An older, wiry man with greying hair and a short beard emerged from the back of the shop a few seconds later. His brown, rusty eyes widened in recognition of the red-haired guitarist, and an easy smile came as he extended his hand.

"Qrow Branwen's my name," he greeted as Scarlet shook the offered hand. "Nice to meet you, Scarlet."

"Same here," Scarlet replied. "I hope we didn't annoy you by stealing away your apprentice."

"On the contrary; I'm _glad_ to see my niece get a chance to successfully do this for a living," Qrow assured. "I played upright bass in a jazz band back before the war, you see. Once Ruby started singing well enough to perform at school, I decided to teach her everything I knew about the low notes."

"I see," Scarlet replied kindly. "I dare say England's glad you did that as well."

Qrow cackled as Ruby blushed at the compliment. "Well, that fills my soul with pride like nothing else does." Turning to Ruby, the older man smiled. "Feel free to clock out now, Ruby; I'll get the last of your wages while you finish up that Philips."

"Sure thing, uncle Qrow," Ruby replied as Qrow went to the back of the store. Scarlet was fascinated as he watched Ruby's experienced fingers quickly screw the expensive radio back together in under a minute. She finally placed her tools in the drawer along the back wall, then wiped her hands down with her handkerchief as Qrow re-emerged with a wad of notes.

"Here you go, kiddo," he said as Ruby accepted the cash. "Have fun in Birmingham tonight, you hear?"

"Wouldn't think of doing otherwise," Ruby replied with a smile before hugging Qrow goodbye.

"It was nice meeting you, Scarlet," Qrow said.

"Likewise," Scarlet replied. "Feel free to roll up to the Hammersmith Odeon in September when our bands play there."

Qrow winked. "You got it."

Scarlet and Ruby smiled as they waved Qrow goodbye through the doorway. Walking down Fitzroy Road from the intersection with Chalcot Road, Scarlet began the conversation.

"Weiss and Neptune are meeting us at Primrose Hill at half-past twelve," he explained pre-emptively, "at the intersection at the end of the road."

"I take it they loaded in the gear together?"

"Indeed. Blake and Yang are taking more than usual up with them to make room for Neptune and me."

"Fair enough," Ruby replied. "At least that's one less thing we have to do today."

* * *

They continued walking in comfortable silence until they reached the intersection with Regent's Park Road at the stroke of noon. Crossing over, they elected to sit in one of the park benches that dotted the eastern boundary of Primrose Hill, and the musicians decided to enjoy the summer afternoon as it happened around them.

"Say, Ruby," Scarlet started suddenly, "I've been meaning to ask: how come you and Yang have different surnames?"

"Well, Rose is technically my middle name," Ruby admitted, "but Yang and I agreed it was a better stage name than Ruby Xiao Long."

"I see," Scarlet replied, nodding as he processed that. "It's just that Yang told me this morning that you two were half-sisters."

"We are. Our Dad's been married twice, you see. Yang's mum – and Qrow's sister – ran off at the start of '45 with a Canadian soldier. My mum lived on the same street as my dad in those days and decided to help him by being Yang's nanny. One thing led to another, and they're still together."

"Ah, right enough. At least you and Yang had a good upbringing due to your mother's intervention."

"That's true," Ruby replied, "and as far as we're concerned, our mother's the same woman."

Scarlet nodded approvingly, before deciding to let the summer air carry his mind elsewhere. But the woman he sat next to wouldn't leave his thoughts, the same as it had been for the last six weeks. The silence grew more and more uncomfortable for the man, but the woman that had slowly but surely wormed her way into his heart didn't seem to notice his turmoil over her.

Ruby, meanwhile, was enjoying a rare moment alone with Scarlet. He'd always been seen as the quiet Yeatle, and had kept to himself over the several weeks that Sun, Neptune and Sage had used to get to know the other girls – both biblically and otherwise – and Ruby hadn't had the chance to get to know him in either sense. The diminutive bassist slowly placed her right hand onto Scarlet's left knee, and looked up alluringly at him as he realised what she'd done. Ruby promptly realised that Scarlet looked rather tense, and she quickly sat upright and tried to deflate the tension.

"I'm sorry, Scarlet. You're not used to female attention?"

Scarlet blushed nervously. "You could say that. I'm … kind of flummoxed about something right now."

"Oh really?"

"I … think I'm falling in love with you."

Ruby felt positively _giddy_ at the news; as well as she fronted her band on stage, Ruby was quite a wallflower off of it. She was equally _relieved_ and _elated_ to know Scarlet felt the same way about her … and then she realised he _still_ seemed tense.

"Wait, how come you're flummoxed about it?"

"It's just … I never felt this way about a woman before I met you."

Leaning down to Ruby's ear to prevent any eaves-dropping, Scarlet began to whisper his biggest secret.

"And that's a problem for me because I … I am ..."

Ruby held a finger up to his stammering lips. "A friend of Dorothy?"

Scarlet nodded, looking more morose with each passing second.

"That makes two of us."

" _Eh_?!", Scarlet gasped.

"We're both inclined to go the other way, but we ..."

"Are drawn to each other despite that?", Scarlet completed.

"Y-yeah," Ruby admitted shyly. "Mind you, I can love boys just fine; I just lean towards girls more often."

" _Oh_ , I see. What should we do, then?", Scarlet asked. "Because I am _really_ confused right now."

"Well, let's take it slow," Ruby advised. "Because I think it would be good if we protected each other, regardless of whether romance works for us or not."

Scarlet smiled in relief. "Agreed."

Ruby and Scarlet then side-hugged one another, and promptly spotted Weiss parking her blue van nearby. They walked towards it arm-in-arm, content as ever that life would work out for the best, as it always had done for them and their band mates in these optimistic times.

"About time," Weiss murmured as she saw the bassist and guitarist approach her van.

"Agreed. It's good that Scarlet found someone for himself for once," Neptune concurred as the door opened.

"Ready to go?" Weiss asked as Ruby and Scarlet piled into the back seats.

"You bet we are," Ruby replied. "Do we have food for the journey?"

Without a word, Neptune handed a half-empty picnic basket over to Scarlet and Ruby.

"Chicken and watercress, and Marmite and cheese," Ruby announced. "What would you prefer?"

"Marmite and cheese," Scarlet automatically replied as he closed the door, taking the offered sandwiches off the cling-wrapped plate.

"Wise choice," Weiss averred as Ruby tore into the three remaining sandwiches with gusto. Scarlet also spied a bottle each of lemonade, and sipped on his in contentment as the van began its pilgrimage to the Midlands for RWBY's first performance after surging to national prominence.

* * *

The tours that RWBY and the Yeatles undertook filled out the remainder of the year. Scotland, Wales and Northern England were summarily blown away by the tour de force that RWBY unleashed on them during the autumn months, and the capital cities of non-Soviet Europe were equally receptive to the girls that winter. _Mirror Mirror_ , RWBY's second album, came out in February 1966, and the quartet ambitiously set their sights on American, Australian and Japanese audiences, touring once again with the four northern men they'd fallen in love with around the world to the delight of the first world.

As the decades passed, the world never forgot the Yeatles. However, the band was rarely, if ever, proselytised without RWBY getting treated with equal reverence and respect from musicians and fans alike. Both bands pushed one another to new heights and boundaries, spurring one another to invent and create with equal drive. Together, they were the standard that bands on both sides of the Atlantic were always measured by; frequently challenged and sometimes matched, but never surpassed.

* * *

**A/N: There we have it. Given that Scarlet's canonically gay, I felt that having him and Bisexual!Ruby promise to protect each other in an age where homosexuality was criminalised would be more respectful than straight-washing Scarlet. As for their romantic feelings for each other, I'm leaving it open as to whether it lasted or not.**

**Thanks to all of you for following the work. I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it.**


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